Nut lock



July 20 1926. 1,592,965

G. C. WORTMAN NUT LOCK Filed Sept. 11, 1925 9 60756 Cf 7/0 rfman.

GUM W241 Patented July 20, 1926.

Gil-103G111 WORTLI'AN, OF DENVER, COLORADO.

v NUTVLOCK.

App'licationlrled September 11, 1325.

turning on the bolts. The means shown'and' claimed in the above identified patent is. however, too'massive to bev suitable for all purposes and it is the object of this invention toproduce simple'inexpensive construction of railway joint and simple means for holding. the nuts from turning.

It is customary in present day railway'con' struction toemploy two ties", spaced a short distance apart and to' have the joint int-he rail comebetween'the"ties. This construction makes it necessary to provide expensive saddles orbridgcs for the endsot'the rails to rest uponiwhich, together withthe crrtratie increasesthecosto'f construction.

In tllGjOlIlt construction shown and described inthis application v only a single wide tie is used at each joint and the abutting. ends: of the rails rest ona single tie plate. This makes a rigid construction that is comparatively cheap. For the purpose of preventing the nuts from loosening on the bolts that hold the fish plates to the sides of the rails 1 have produced a simple locking device.

My invention can be most clearly described and will be most readily understood when reference is had to the accompanying drawing in which it has been illus trated and in which:

Fig. 1 is a side elevation of a railway rail joint, 9. portion of the end of the tie being broken away to show the lag screw:

Fig. 2 is a section taken on line 22, Fig. 1, a portion of the tie being broken away to show the spike;

Figs. 3 and 4 are perspective views showing the two parts of my nut lock;

Fig. 5 is a perspective view showing the fish plate employed on one side of the rail;

Fig. 6 is a perspective view showing the angle that is applied to the outside of the joint;

Fig. 7 is a side eleva'ion of one of the bolts employed Fin. 8 is a section similar to that of Fig. 2 showing a slight modification, and

Fig. 9 shows a modified locking member,

Serial No: 55,638.

Numerals 1 and 2 represent the ends of two abutting rails and-3 the tie uponwhich the ends are supported. The tie is extra large and should be about ten inches wide. To the upper surface of the tie i secure a tie plate lwhich difl'crs from the ordinary tie plate in this, that it is wider, has three spike holes at each end (Fig. 1), has an undercut or grooved shoulder5 acrossonc end and is provided on one side with a downwardly extendingintegral-piste 6 that is adapted to be secured to the side of the tie by means of lag screws 7. The; object soughtto be attained by means of the plate 6 and legscrews is to secure the tie'plate 1 to the tie independently of the spikes 8 so that if the spikes should loosen, the plate would be prevented from risingup without carrying the tie along with it. The ends 1 and 2 are fastened together by means-of a fish plate 9 and an angle 10; This plate and angle are each provided with four holes 11 which are adapted to register with corre sponding holes in the websof tho'rails and are clamped to the sides of the webs by means of bolts 13: These bolts are constructed somewhat as shown in Fig. 7 and have an enlarged part 1 1 that, when the bolt is driven home into one of the holes 11 will wedge tightly in the hole and will hold the bolt against turning. Before the nuts 15 are put in place onto the bolts.v the member 16 of my improved locking device is put onto the bolt so that it will be clamped firmly between the nut and the outer surface of the plate 9 or angle 10, as the case might be. The part 16 is of such length that its upper edge will fit against the lower suriace of the rail head 17 whereby it is held against turning. The lower end of locking member 16 has an integral tongue 18 cut from the material thereof and bent outwardly to an angle of 90 degrees. When the nuts have been tightened, the members 16 will be held firmly and nonrotatably in the manner shown in Figs. 1 and 2. The nuts are turned until they have their sides vertical or parallel with the sides of the member 16. To look the nuts against reverse rotation, I apply to the nuta holding device 19 consisting of a metal plate having a central opening 20 of suflicient size to fit the nut 15. The lower edge of member 19 has a notch 21 which is of suflicient width to receive the tongue 18 of member 16 in the manner shown most clearly in Fig. 1; after the lock:

ing member 19 has been put onto the nut the tongue 18 is bent upwardly in the manner shown in Fig. 2 so that it will not be readily removable. It isobvious that the nut cannot rotate on the bolt as long as member .19 is in place thereon because it is held by member 16 that is prevented. from rotation by its engagement with the lower side of head 17. When the track workers desire to remove a bolt, they merely bend the tongue 18 downwards by means of a bar or hammer, after which the locking member 19 is removed. The parts 16 and 19 are so designed that they can be stamped out of sheet metal of the proper thickness and strength. The plate 10 has a part 22 that extends "from it at an angle and which has its edge provided with notches 2-31 for the reception of the spikes 8 (Figs. 2 and 6). The outer edge of the angular part 22 extends into a groove 23 of the shoulder 5 so as to bind the rail to the tie plate. If desired the part 22 may be made somewhat narrower than the flange of the railso that the edge of the latter may project into the groove 23 (Fig. 8).

With my improved construction the tie plate is anchored to the tie by means of the plate 6 and the bolts 7 and the rail is. an chored to the tie plate by means of the groove 23 and therefore there is no tendency to separate the tie plate from the tie or to loosen the spikes. This construction is also of great advantages in maintaining the track as the trackmen by jacking up the rail also raise the tie and the latter can then be tamped so as to attain the proper level.

I desire tocall particular attention to my locking means which I believe to be very well adapted to railway construction as it is rugged and positive in its action and can be cheaply constructed. It is customary at present to employ a spring washer underneath the nuts 15 but as these are intended merely to prevent the nut from becoming loose they can be dispensed with when my locking device is used. If, for any reason, a spring washer action should be desired in addition to my lock, this can be obtained by making member 16 with cuts 24 and oil'- setting it in the manner shown in Fig. 9.

Having now described my invention, what. I claim as new is:

A nut locking device adapted to be used in railway joint construction comprising. in combination, a plate having an opening for the reception of a bolt, the material of said plate being spiraled about said opening so as to form a spring, said plate being further adapted to be clamped in place underneath a nut, a portion of said plate being bent outwardly so as to form a tongue. a second plate having an opening of the proper size and shape to receive a nut and an other opening adapted to receive said tongue whereby when said first mentioned plate is clamped beneath the nut and the second plate secured about the nut and in such a position that the tongue and opening cooperate the nut will be held agains rotation.

In testimony whereof I aflix my signature.

GEORGE C. WORTMAN. 

